VICE President Sara Duterte has remained tight-lipped on whether she will attend President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s upcoming State of the Nation Address (Sona) on July 28, amid ongoing political tensions between the executive and legislative branches.
Speaking before members of the Filipino community in The Hague, Netherlands, outside the International Criminal Court (ICC) headquarters on July 21, 2025 Duterte responded to a query on the House of Representatives’ invitation for her to attend the Sona, emphasizing that there is no legal obligation for any Filipino to listen to the President’s annual address.
“Wala tayong batas na nagsasabi tungkulin ng mga Pilipino ang makinig sa Presidente (There is no law that says it is the duty of Filipinos to listen to the President),” Duterte said.
“Ang nasa batas natin, nakalagay tungkulin ng Presidente ang magbigay sa atin, mga Pilipino, kung ano yung estado ng ating bansa. Siya yung may tungkulin, tayo, walang tungkulin makinig. We have the right to listen or to not listen (What the law says is that it is the President’s duty to report to us, the people, the state of the nation. He has a duty. We don’t have a duty to listen. We have the right to listen or not),” she added.
When pressed further by the media, Duterte did not give a direct answer on her attendance.
The House of Representatives, through its spokesperson Princess Abante, earlier stated that the Vice President is “welcome” to attend the Sona and expressed readiness to receive her, should she decide to go.
Duterte has historically distanced herself from the annual event. Her office confirmed earlier this month that she has declined the invitation to this year’s address, her second consecutive absence.
The vice president, who was impeached by the House in February, previously said that she found “nothing substantial” in the President’s speeches.
Meanwhile, preparations are in full swing for Marcos’ fourth Sona at the Batasang Pambansa Complex. According to the House’s Sergeant-at-Arms, retired Police Major General Napoleon Taas, over 27,000 security and emergency personnel will be deployed to ensure safety during the event.
Marcos’ report is expected to cover economic recovery efforts, infrastructure development, and foreign policy milestones, including his recent trip to the United States to address trade issues such as the 20 percent tariff on Philippine exports.
The House confirmed that detained former President Rodrigo Duterte, currently held at The Hague pending trial before the ICC, will be sent a formal invitation. DEF